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(Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2005;25:406.)
© 2005 American Heart Association, Inc.

Atherosclerosis and Lipoproteins

Acute Effect of High-Fat Meal on Endothelial Function in Moderately Dyslipidemic Subjects

C. Giannattasio; A. Zoppo; G. Gentile; M. Failla; A. Capra; F.M. Maggi; A. Catapano; G. Mancia

From Clinica Medica (C.G., G.G., M.F., G.M.), University of Milano-Bicocca and San Gerardo Hospital, Monza; Dipartimento Scienze Farmacologiche (A.Z., F.M.M., A.C.), Centro Studi Aterosclerosi, University of Milano; Centro Interuniversitario di Fisiologia Clinica e Ipertensione (G.M.), Milano-Bicocca, Milano e Pavia; Ospedale Maggiore Milano (C.G., G.M.), IRCSS Ospedale San Luca, Milano, Italy.

Correspondence to G. Mancia, Clinica Medica, Ospedale S. Gerardo, Via Donizetti 106, 20052 Monza, Italy. E-mail giuseppe.mancia{at}unimib.it

Objective— Hypercholesterolemia markedly impairs endothelial function. Whether this is the case for hypertriglyceridemia is less clear, however, and limited evidence exists on the effect of an acute increase in triglyceridemia caused by a high-fat meal.

Methods and Results— In 16 normotensive subjects with an untreated mild hypertriglyceridemia and dyslipidemia and in 7 normal controls, we measured radial artery diameter and blood flow by an echo-tracking device (NIUS02). Data were obtained at baseline, at the release of a 4-minute ischemia of the hand, which causes an increase in arterial diameter dependent on nitric oxide (NO) secretion, and at the release of a 12-minute exclusion of the arm by an arm cuff to obtain a larger increase in arterial diameter mainly of nonendothelial nature. Measurements were performed before and 6 hours after a high-fat meal (680 kcal/m² body surface; 82% lipids). In mild dyslipidemic hypertriglyceridemic subjects, the high-fat meal did not alter baseline blood pressure (beat-to-beat finger measurement), heart rate, radial artery diameter, and blood flow. It also did not alter the increase in blood flow induced by the 4-minute ischemia (+42.7±10.4 and +43.7±10.4 mL/min), whereas it markedly attenuated the concomitant increase in arterial diameter (+0.31±0.06 versus 0.13±0.06 mm; P<0.05). The alteration of the diameter response did not correlate with changes in total cholesterol, but it showed a significant correlation with the increase in serum triglycerides induced by high-fat meal (r=0.49, P<0.05). This attenuation was not seen in control subjects and in subjects in whom measurements were repeated after a 6-hour observation period. It was also not paralleled by an alteration of the endothelially independent response to a 12-minute ischemia whose larger effects on arterial diameter and blood flow were similar before and after the high-fat meal.

Conclusions— Endothelial function is markedly impaired by a high-fat meal that causes an acute hypertriglyceridemia. This impairment is evident in dyslipidemic patients with baseline hypertriglyceridemia but not in normotriglyceridemic controls.

An oral fat load was administered to 55 HIV-positive and 10 HIV-negative individuals. Postprandial clearance of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins was delayed in HIV-positive individuals. Compared with HIV-positive subjects not on PIs, those taking PIs do not have increased postprandial triglyceride-rich lipoproteins but do have increased postprandial intermediate-density and low-density lipoproteins.Hypercholesterolemia impairs endothelial function, whereas the effect of hypertriglyceridemia is less clear. In normotensive subjects with an untreated hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia, we measured endothelial function before and 6 hours after a high-fat meal. The results demonstrate that in moderately dyslipidemic patients, endothelial function is impaired by acute hypertriglyceridemia.

Key Words: blood flow • vasodilation • endothelium • triglyceridemia • acute triglyceridemia increase

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